Cohiba

By Doreen Hemlock Business Writer and Staff Writer Ian Katz contributed to this report from Havana, June 20, 2006

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday stubbed out a case over rights to the Cohiba brand name on cigars sold in the United States, upholding the rights of a New York company to use the name on products it makes outside Cuba. Monday's decision not to hear a Cuban appeal basically allows recent rules on the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba to trump an older international treaty on trademarks, lawyers said. Washington has banned most U.S. trade with communist-led Cuba since the 1960s. Bolstered by the decision, U.S. trademark holder General Cigar Co. said it will crack down in the United States "against manufacturers, distributors and retailers of counterfeit Cohiba cigars," including cigars made in Cuba and those with fake Cohiba labels.

Roberto and Celia Ferrer describe their 46-seat café, Cohiba Brasserie, as "eclectic," which it is because of a menu that merges Roberto's Cuban origins with European and Asian cooking styles. The Ferrers -- Roberto is the chef while Celia runs the dining room -- also consider Cohiba to be a "neighborhood" restaurant, which is only partly true because it doesn't do complete justice to this wonderful eatery. For most people living in Fort Lauderdale and points north, Cohiba Brasserie might as well be in Naples given its location 3 miles west of I-75 on Pines Boulevard.

The ban on travel to Cuba may go up in smoke this month. According to the Cuban government, about 95 U.S. citizens are among more than 600 foreign business leaders, celebrities and cigar lovers expected to attend a $500-a-plate dinner at Havana's Tropicana club on Feb. 28 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Cohiba cigar, the one-time personal smoke of Cuban President Fidel Castro. Havana is keeping its U.S. guest list a secret. Most Americans are prohibited from traveling to Cuba under the 35-year-old trade embargo.

The trademarks for two famous Cuban brands - Havana Club rum and Cohiba cigars - could be sold to the highest bidder if a Miami-Dade family that lost a loved one to Castro's firing squad prevails in court. Relatives of the late Bobby Fuller, who won a $100 million wrongful-death judgment against the Cuban government, urged a Miami-Dade circuit judge Tuesday to order the sale of Havana Club, Cohiba and 12 other Cuban trademarks to help satisfy their award. Their legal move will spark a controversy, because litigation over Cuban trademarks registered in the United States since the 1963 trade embargo against Cuba has been hot over the past decade, particularly involving Havana Club rum. The Fuller family's lawyers, Roberto Martinez and Karen O. Stewart, are urging the judge to bring three Cuban entities into court to establish their ownership of the 14 trademarks.

Since moving their popular restaurant here from Delray Beach, the owners of Cohiba have found some customers have followed them, but they're coming in for dinner instead of lunch. That's because they worked in or near Delray Beach, but lived farther north and west, co-owner Tony Ruiz said. Gabriel Isasi, who works west of Lake Worth and lives in Lake Clarke Shores, has been a regular customer since the original Cohiba opened in 1997, he said over lunch one day recently. He was thrilled when he found Cohiba opened closer to home.

A couple of Cuban cigar smugglers got seriously burned by the U.S. Customs Service. Anthony Richard Sperandio, 58, of Sugarloaf Key, and Michael Reyes, 33, of Danbury, Conn., were arrested after agents seized 2,700 Cuban cigars smuggled into Key West from Cuba, agents said on Friday. In the haul was Cuba's finest cigars, prized for their rich aroma and unique wrapping: Cohiba, Monte Cristo and Romeo y Julieta Churchills. Cigars such as a Cohiba sell for up to $25 apiece in the Caribbean.

Seven men, talking in loud and unmistakably American English, sat in the bar of the Hotel National this week, smoking cigars, drinking rum and eyeing the women. All but one - a man who identified himself only as "John" - fled as a journalist approached. All were in Havana for Friday's $500-a-plate dinner celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Cohiba cigar. "We're legal," insisted John, who like his friends appeared to be in his early 30s. "A foreign government or company is paying our bills."

The trademarks for two famous Cuban brands - Havana Club rum and Cohiba cigars - could be sold to the highest bidder if a Miami-Dade family that lost a loved one to Castro's firing squad prevails in court. Relatives of the late Bobby Fuller, who won a $100 million wrongful-death judgment against the Cuban government, urged a Miami-Dade circuit judge Tuesday to order the sale of Havana Club, Cohiba and 12 other Cuban trademarks to help satisfy their award. Their legal move will spark a controversy, because litigation over Cuban trademarks registered in the United States since the 1963 trade embargo against Cuba has been hot over the past decade, particularly involving Havana Club rum. The Fuller family's lawyers, Roberto Martinez and Karen O. Stewart, are urging the judge to bring three Cuban entities into court to establish their ownership of the 14 trademarks.

As if financial losses, lawsuits and allegations of cigar counterfeiting were not enough, Miami-based Caribbean Cigar now faces yet another problem: finding a new top executive. The maker of premium stogies announced on Wednesday that its president and chairman, Ronald G. Farrell, had resigned _ just two months after he'd taken the helm. Caribbean said board member Stephen N. Wertheimer also had resigned _ the latest in a string of board changes that included a trio of departures last November after the company unveiled an accounting mistake that converted alleged profits to losses.

By Doreen Hemlock Business Writer and Staff Writer Ian Katz contributed to this report from Havana, June 20, 2006

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday stubbed out a case over rights to the Cohiba brand name on cigars sold in the United States, upholding the rights of a New York company to use the name on products it makes outside Cuba. Monday's decision not to hear a Cuban appeal basically allows recent rules on the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba to trump an older international treaty on trademarks, lawyers said. Washington has banned most U.S. trade with communist-led Cuba since the 1960s. Bolstered by the decision, U.S. trademark holder General Cigar Co. said it will crack down in the United States "against manufacturers, distributors and retailers of counterfeit Cohiba cigars," including cigars made in Cuba and those with fake Cohiba labels.

Since moving their popular restaurant here from Delray Beach, the owners of Cohiba have found some customers have followed them, but they're coming in for dinner instead of lunch. That's because they worked in or near Delray Beach, but lived farther north and west, co-owner Tony Ruiz said. Gabriel Isasi, who works west of Lake Worth and lives in Lake Clarke Shores, has been a regular customer since the original Cohiba opened in 1997, he said over lunch one day recently. He was thrilled when he found Cohiba opened closer to home.

Cohiba Restaurant has what it takes: low prices, an above-par ethnic menu, accommodating, knowledgeable personnel and, most important, food that stands above the crowd. Throw a pinch of well-placed confidence into the formula (provided by a kitchen that does more than pay lip service to generations of treasured recipes), and this family-style cantina is a welcome addition to a corner shopping center that's also home to a profusion of other notable eateries. This unobtrusive sparkler has an atmosphere that crackles -- rising well above its simple wrap-around window storefront spot the provides little more than a view of busy Linton as it intersects with Federal.

As if financial losses, lawsuits and allegations of cigar counterfeiting were not enough, Miami-based Caribbean Cigar now faces yet another problem: finding a new top executive. The maker of premium stogies announced on Wednesday that its president and chairman, Ronald G. Farrell, had resigned _ just two months after he'd taken the helm. Caribbean said board member Stephen N. Wertheimer also had resigned _ the latest in a string of board changes that included a trio of departures last November after the company unveiled an accounting mistake that converted alleged profits to losses.

U.S. incomes rebounded in August and consumer spending rose for the third month in a row as the economy sprinted toward the final stretch of 1997. Personal incomes rose 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $6.92 trillion in August after increasing a revised 0.2 percent during July, the Commerce Department said. Spending rose 0.3 percent in August after climbing a revised 1.0 percent in July. Wages and salaries _ the most-watched component of personal income _ rose 0.8 percent.

HAVANA -- Thirty years after he swept triumphantly across Cuba, cheered by millions of Cubans as the island`s revolutionary savior, Fidel Castro is in danger. But, as Castro and his socialist government have been forced to admit, the threat comes not from U.S. military invasion or subversion, but from rapidly increasing delinquency and disillusionment. As the Cuban revolution prepares for its 30th anniversary, to be celebrated today with massive parades, fireworks and speeches, innumerable young men on the sultry streets of Havana celebrate their own way -- by trying to make a fast buck.